OotS #842is up! "All in the Family"

[jeffh]

Not that I want to turn this into an extended rehash of that debate, but his main reason for doing it was to psychologically torture a foe he had already decisively defeated. His own future safety (a neutral motive, compatible with any alignment) was a consideration too, but I got the definite impression that this was, in V's then-current state of mind, a nice side-benefit; he was mainly out to make the dragon suffer. If that's not an Evil motive, I don't know what is.

I should add to this, that even if I agreed that his motive wasn't bad, in some cases a non-Evil motive isn't exculpatory. Otherwise we wouldn't look unkindly on those who recklessly endanger others - in most cases of this, the fact that they are endangering someone is the last thing on the perpetrator's mind, but far from excusing them, this is exactly the problem.

This was such a case - while V couldn't have predicted this specifically, she should have been alive to the possibility that in a group that large, there would be non-Evil individuals, especially if there were half-dragons involved. Indeed, one of the victims was pretty explicitly shown to most likely be a paladin - again, V had no direct way of knowing that specifically but it still illustrates that she should have taken the possibility into account. V knowingly engaged in an act she knew, or should have known, could have such tragic results as we see here.

 

[Innocent Bystander]

One could argue that V was 'under the influence' and as such is not fully responsible for his/her actions. It's a common defense that unfortunately works well in today's legal system.

 

[Henry]

Holy crap, I had totally forgotten about that spell. I came to this thread wondering about the significance of the family tree. Well-played, indeed.

Then again, we don't know for certain that this is what happened, could have been another black dragon, but... yowza.

 

[Kaodi]

Regardless of whether V is entirely responsible for what he did, I do not doubt that under modern standards he would be spending the rest of his life in the equivalent of the prison of The Hague.

And I would argue he is responsible. What court would allow you the defence, " I am not responsible because I allowed my soul to be spliced with Dr. Mengele, Pol Pot, and Attila the Hun, " ?

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

And I would argue he is responsible. What court would allow you the defence, " I am not responsible because I allowed my soul to be spliced with Dr. Mengele, Pol Pot, and Attila the Hun, " ?

"You seem pretty normal now."
"Oh, I got better."
"No lasting consequences"
"OH, well, I may owe some favors to the Evil Gods. But nothing else."
"Okay... We'll take that into ... consideration"

 

[Henry]

"You seem pretty normal now."
"Oh, I got better."
"No lasting consequences"
"OH, well, I may owe some favors to the Evil Gods. But nothing else."
"Okay... We'll take that into ... consideration"

(Cue slamming cell door)

 

[Dioltach]

Check out episode 640 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0640.html): "... those three souls have absolutely no power to alter the elf's alignment or actions at all."


It's all V's own choice.

 

[catsclaw227]

Check out episode 640 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0640.html): "... those three souls have absolutely no power to alter the elf's alignment or actions at all."


It's all V's own choice.

That's what I remembered, too.

One could argue that V was 'under the influence' and as such is not fully responsible for his/her actions. It's a common defense that unfortunately works well in today's legal system.

I am pretty sure that V knew exactly what he was doing, though with no witnesses, he MIGHT be able to pull off that defense.

He was royally p*ssed off that his family was threatened. But... FAMILICIDE?!?!?!111? He was totally consumed with his new-found power.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

-Genocide is always evil. EXTREMELY evil. Regardless of your "reasons."

- The fiends made it plain as day V wasn't under any sort of influence, even if that was a legitimate excuse. (And it's not, V CHOSE that influence, just as someone who drinks and drives chose to combine those two activities)

- D&D assumes a caster knows every aspect of the spell you're casting, right down to the exact range in ft it can be used out to. Anyone who thinks V didn't realize how "widespread" the spell would be are deluding themselves.

That is all.

[sblock]Actually, it's not. I saw speculation this would happen for weeks now. I didn't want to believe it, and still don't want to. Because this stupid Epic spell is looking ludicrously, insanely, entire-plot-of-the-comic-breaking powerful. Xykon is a threat to the fabric of reality and he could never create a spell with a FRACTION of that power. It wipes out creatures across all distance and the planes, with no save or SR apparently allowed (I've yet to see a single survivor). Whoever this Haerta was, however long ago she existed, the fact that she did exist and had such world-shattering power yet there's no records or lore of her at all is simply unbelievable. Literally, I refuse to believe it. That's just bs. Whatever took her down before she could use that spell herself had to be one of the single most epic, important events in all of world history, possibly second only to the Snarl. I'm very displeased the spell's being given such insane power AND being glossed over so much.[/sblock]

 

[catsclaw227]

Looking at the "family tree" again, what were the three mixes immediately sired by the "woman"? Salamander-type, Fiendish-type and Chicken-head-type?

Was the red-headed parent even a human? It could have been anything bipedal.

But that red hair sure was a dominant genetic trait, wasn't it?